BATTLE OF BARNET HILLS
The Battle of Barnet Hills took place during the Liberation of Whitewharf, which had been assaulted and occupied by Justicars of the Veronis Tribunal approximately two weeks prior.
Landing east of the capital city of Stakesby, the Jade Empire and its allies seized the town of Malts with minimal opposition before pushing west on several fronts, with heavy fighting in the Barnet Hills which run from the north of Malts to Stakesby. Despite suffering moderate losses, the allied forces were able to disperse the defenders and prepare the way for an assault on Stakesby itself. BACKGROUNDBased on long-standing territorial claims, the Veronis Tribunal launched a surprise attack on the Jade colony of Whitewharf, killing several hundred thousand civilians and forcing a mass evacuation of the planet. The Justicars were then reinforced by a large contingent of mercenaries from House Jaros, exiles from the High Imperium, who were seeking to broker an alliance with the Veronis Tribunal.
A reaction force was swiftly assembled, supported by warships from Imperial Nalydia, the Minevan Sovereignty and the Carnaithian Omniversal Empire, and drove off the enemy fleet in the 2nd Battle of Whitewharf, enabling them to begin landings on the planet itself. INITIAL LANDINGSMinevan raiders formed a spearhead and landed across the eastern Barnet Hills with the objective of neutralising Justicar anti-air positions and paving the way for wider landings. Despite suffering casualties, they were reinforced by a unit of Dragon Banner and were able to open holes in the defender's air coverage.
This allowed for the Jade 31st Regiment and a large contingent of Nalydian troops to land at Malts. ADVANCE WESTThe 31st took significant casualties during landing, but was able to disperse the scattered Justicar defenders at Malts. Nalydian forces landed further north-west and launched an assault on the first line of Justicar and House Jaros defenses there. The Minevan forward forces succeeded in destroying the primary Justicar anti-orbital gun, allowing allied air support to dominate the airspace.
The primary Nalydian thrust began to push back the Justicar defenses lines until the arrival |
of a column of House Jaros armour. The Nalydians were able to pen the Jaros column into a valley where it was targeted by Carnaithian air and advance forces, eventually falling back towards Stakesby with significant losses.
DESTRUCTION OF THE CRIMINAL VINDICATION
The Criminal Vindication, a Justicar frigate that had sought refuge planetside after suffering damage during the space battle above, rose from its position to unmask its spinal gun and menace the allied advance from Malts. The Carnaithian corvette Tanto dropped into atmosphere to engage, firing its own weaponry and destroying the Criminal Vindication. The huge frigate's collapse prompted the withdrawal of the last defensive elements back towards Stakesby.
AFTERMATH AND CASUALTIES
The bulk of the allied infantry suffered approximately ten percent casualties, with rates higher amongst the advance Minevan and Carnaithian units, as well as moderate losses among allied air.
The defenders similarly suffered the loss of around one tenth of their personnel, as well as significant numbers of armoured vehicles and their one remaining spacegoing warship, and fell back to the city of Stakesby.
The defenders similarly suffered the loss of around one tenth of their personnel, as well as significant numbers of armoured vehicles and their one remaining spacegoing warship, and fell back to the city of Stakesby.